Arianna Gaston

Name: Arianna Gaston

Location:Boston, MA

What do you enjoy the most from YPP?

From the executive director, Maisha Moses, to all the preceding workers that I have encountered, the community at YPP is just so inviting. This large welcoming group makes coming to work a fun experience. I quite enjoy the environment that which allows students in high school, such as myself, to take control of a classroom and help those younger than us or even our own age. In the future teaching is a long standing goal that I want to achieve, and this job is leading me on the right path to it.

What have you learned from YPP?

YPP has taught me a lot not only about math, but they have also taught me about teaching. One of the first things that YPP taught me was patience. Sometimes working with kids during the school year after school I noticed that they would not understand the game presented to them. I then took it upon myself to find another way to explain it to them. YPP has taught me how to work and find a way to get younger students who either, may not understand the concept or give mentors a hard time, to work with you.

What are some marketable skills have you been taught and how have you applied them in school and home?

The skill of planning ahead of time and also taking your time to reach an end goal has been used in my school life. Work has really taught me to take things slow with the children and if they do not understand try and find a new way to explain it to them. This can translated to school trying multiple ways to solve a problem that I do not understand.